Ejector mechanism for firearms



sept. m, 194s. .J. cowlf: 2,407,477'.

.EJECTOR MEGHAN'ISM FOR FIREARMS I Filed Nay 8, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mwN .EJ i Q N ON o .ww m. Q a i, E Nl@ mm o .www l nm, om ,QQ n NW ,QW Om,E. E Nw NN QN N Sem 10, 1946..

J. cRowE EJECTOR MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS Filed My a, 1944 2' sheets-Sheet2 Patented Sept. 10, 1946 PATENT OFFICE EJECTOR MECHANISM FOR FIREARMSJohn Crowe, St. Joseph, Mo.,

Marlin Firearms Company, New Haven,

assigner to The Conn.,

17 Claims.

This invention relates to ejector mechanism for firearms, and moreparticularly to an ejector mechanism for a so-called under-and-over gun,although it will be understood that the principles of the invention areapplicable to guns of other types.

As shown, the ejector mechanism is applied to a shotgun of theunder-and-over type having one barrel mounted above the other. Such gunsare commonly provided with a barrelsection pivoted to the action frameand controlled by a lever so that the gun may be broken for ejection ofthe iired shells and reloaded. It is, of course, desirable that afterone barrel of the gun has been red this shell may be ejected from thebal'- rel so that it may be reloaded without the ejection of a cartridgeremaining in the other barrel, and this action should be eiectedregardless of which barrel has been red. Likewise, if both barrels havebeen red, both shells should be ejected when the gun is broken.

In the past the ejecting mechanism nas usual- '.y been mounted in thebarrel section of the gun, and in its usual form comprises aspring-actuated ejector hammer controlled by a scar or the like, thescar being released when the gun is broken. In the present invention thegreater part of the ejector mechanism is mounted in the action frame,close to the action mechanism consisting of the main hammers andassociated parts. By this arrangement the ejector hammers may be readilycontrolled by the main hammers, and I am enabled to omit entirely theemployment of a sear to control the ejector hammers, the latter beingboth cocked and released by the movement of the main hammers to cockingposition when the gun is broken. I thus avoid the placing of complicatedejector mechanism in the barrel section, and employ in this section onlythe connections between the ejector` hammers and the ej ectorsthemselves.

One object of the present invention is to provide improved ejectormechanism for rearms.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ejector mechanism fora firearm having an action frame and a barrel section pivoted thereto,wherein the principal working parts of the ejector mechanism are mountedin the action frame and are suitably connected to the ejectorsthemselves, which latter are mounted on the barrel section.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ejector mechanismfor firearms of simplifled construction, but which will at the same timebe positive in operation, and which may be em' ployed withdouble-barreled guns such as underand-over guns, so that when either orboth barrels of the gun have been red the shell will be ejected from thered barrel.

To these and other ends the invention consists in the novel features andcombinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. l is a view partly in section of the parts of a rearm adjacent thebreech thereof, showing the action mechanism and associated ejectormechanism;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a central sectional View of the lower part of the firearm online 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but showing the main hammers of thegun in cocked positions;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the position of the partswhen the gun is broken after discharge; and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view at the breech end of the barrel section, online I-'I of Fig. 5.

To illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention I have shown arearm comprising a barrel section I0 and an action frame II. As shown inFig. 7, for example, the barrel section comprises two barrels I2 and I3mounted one above the other, as is usual in an under-and-over gun.

Extending forwardly beyond the breech end of the barrel section is aportion of the action frame, which portion is of generally U-shaped formhaving a base III and upstanding spaced walls I5 and I6 which embracethe rear portion of the barrel section, as shown in Fig. '7.

The barrel section is pivoted to swing about the action frame on atransverse pivot I'I, the barrel and stock portion being held inoperative relation during the opening movement of the gun by the usualforearm I8 which snaps in place upon the barrel. The gun is held inclosed position by a locking plunger I9, the fore end of which engagesin a groove 2U in a depending lug 2| on the barrel section, and which.plunger is controlled by a lever 22 pivoted on the action frame in theusual manner, well understood by those skilled in the art.

The action mechanism comprises upper and lower main hammers 24 and 25having firing pins' 26 and 21 connected thereto and extending forwardlyto the breech of the barrel section. These hammers are urged forwardlyby compression springs 28 and 29 which surround rearwardly eX- tendingstems 30 and 3I having tail portions 32 and 33 with which sears 34 and35 are adapted to cooperate. As this particular portion of the actionmechanism is not a part of the invention to be protected in the presentapplication, further description thereof is unnecessary, and itsoperation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. A

As shown more particularly in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings, the hammersare provided with laterally offset arms 36 and 37, the former exntending downwardly from the upper hammer and the latter extendingupwardly from the lower hammer, so that these two members lie side byside in laterally spaced relation. A cooking lever 33 is pivoted to theaction frame at 39, the upper end of this lever having a crosshead 40disposed forwardly of the arms 36 and 31 of the hammers,

so that when this lever is moved in a clockwise direction about itspivot, the hammers will be moved rearwardly to cocked position.

At the central portion of the member I4 is slidably mounted a rod 4I themovement of which is limited by the screw 42 which engages in a recess43 in the rod. The rear end of this rod engages the cooking lever 38,and its forward end engages an abutment 44 at the center of the forearmI8. It will be understood that this forearm is clamped to the barrel andswings with the barrel in the pivotal movements of the latter. As shownin Fig. 4, the rear face of the abutment 44 is cam-shaped as shown at45, and it will be obvious that when the gunis broken the rod 4| will bemoved rearwardly, and by impingement of its rear end against the cookinglever 38 will move the cooking lever from the position shown in Figs. 1'and 4 to the position shown in Fig. 6, thus moving the hammers tococked position whenever the gun is fully opened. In other words,whenever the gun is opened both hammers are moved to cocked positions inwhich the tail portions 32 and 33 will be engaged and held in suchpositions by the sears 34 and 35, unless, of course, one or both of thehammers have not been fired and are already in cocked position.

The ejectors are slidably mounted in the barrel section, one at eachside thereof, and consist of body portions 55 having the ejectors 5l attheir rear ends, one of which serves to ejectV the shell in the lowerbarrel and the other in the upper barrel (Fig. 7). At their forward endsthe body portions 59 are provided with laterally turned ends 52 adaptedto be engaged by the upper ends of levers 53 pivoted at 54 in the sidewalls of the forearm, as shown more particularly in Fig. 2. It will beunderstood that the ejector mechanism is duplicated at each side of thegun, and hence it will be necessary to refer in this description to thaton one side only.

Slidably mounted in the side wall portions I and l5 of the fore part ofthe action frame are rods 55, the forward ends of which engage thecam-shaped lower ends 56 of the levers 53. The rear ends of these rods55 extend into the action frame and are there provided with heads 51having therein notches 58 within which are engaged the ends 59 ofejector hammers 60 pivoted at 5| to the action frame.

Each ejector hammer is provided with a rear- 'wardly extending arm 62having a head portion 63, and is urged to forward position by the spring54, which is the position shown in Fig. 1 for example. The inner face ofeach of the heads 63 is beveled, so that the head is thicker at itsforward portion than at its rear portion, as shown at 65 in Fig. 3, thebeveled portion providing a shoulder 65a at the top and at the innerface of the head. Each of the portions and 3l of the hammers is providedwith a laterally extending lug 67, which in the uncooked position of themain hammers lies forwardly of the head 63 o1 the ejector hammers, asshown in Fig. 1.

It may also be noted that the hammer is not only arranged to movepivotally about the pivot screw 6|, but, as it is clamped somewhatloosely between this screw and the adjacent portion of the action frame,the head 63 of each ejector hammer has a slight lateral movement to andfrom the observer, as viewed in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. It may also be notedthat, as shown in Fig. 3, the springs 64 are inclined inwardly fromtheir bases s0 that the head S3 of each ofthe ejector hammers will beurged'toward an inward position. It may also be noted that this lateralmovement of the ejector hammers is, or" course, not sul'icient todisengage the forward ends 53 thereof from the notches 58 in the rearends of rods 55.

The movement of the electors may be limited by means of a screw 10threaded into the barrel section, the head of which engages in anelongated recess 'II in the body portion 59 of the ejector.

The operation of the ejector mechanism may now be described. In Fig. 1of the drawings it may be assumed that both barrels of the gun have beenfired as both hammers stand in uncocked position, with the lugs 61 onthe main hammers standing forwardly of the heads 63 of the ejectorhammers. The gun may now be broken by swinging the lever 22 about itspivot in the usual manner, thus allowing the barrel section to swingupwardly, as shown in Fig. 6. During this movement the rod 4| is cammedrearwardly by the cam face 45 of the abutment 44 to move the cookinglever 38 rearwardly, and thus force the main hammers rearwardly againstthe tension of the springs 28 and 29 to cocked position, the full cockedposition being shown in Fig. 5. During this rearward movement of themain hammers the lugs 51 engage the forward ends of the heads 53 of theejector hammers and swing the ejector hammers in a clockwise directionabout their pivots 6I and against the action of the springs 54. In Fig.6 of the drawings I have shown the position of the parts just before themain hammers reach a fully cocked position, and it will be seen that thelug 61 on the hammer toward the observer is about to ride over the endof the head 63 of the adjacent ejector hammer. Slight additionalmovement of the cooking lever 38 to fully cock the main hammers willmove the lug 61 rearwardly to a sufficient extent to move oft theshoulder a and release the head 63 and allow the ejector hammer to bepropelled in an anti-clockwise direction by its spring 64.

The arm 59 of the ejector hammer lying in the recess 58 propels the rod55 forwardly to act on the lower end of the lever 53 and drive theejector outwardly, as shown in dotted-line position in Fig. 6. Thespring 54 is sufficiently strong to move the ejector hammer with a snapaction and thus drive the ejector rearwardly with suilicient force toeject the exploded shell from the barrel.

It will be apparent that this ejecting action takes place only when thegun is opened, with the hammers in their forward or uncooked position inwhich they will lie after the gun is fired. If the gun is broken whenthe main hammers are in cocked position, as shown in Fig. 5, the ejectorhammers will not be actuated, for, while the cooking lever 38 will bemoved rearwardly, this will have no eiect on the main hammers when theyare already cocked, and likewise the ejector hammers will remainstationary. event, however, the rod 55 is held in its forward positionby the spring ed, and will cooperate with the lower end ci' the lever 53to move the ejector rearwardlyT with a gradual motion, which, while notejecting the shell, will extract it to a sufficient extent so that itmay be easily withdrawn, as is desired when the gun is to be unloaded.

When the hammers are in cocked position, the lug di lies opposite thehead 63 of the ejector hammer, as shown in Fig. 5, and against thebeveled face thereof, holding this end of the ejector hammer outwardlyagainst the action of spring Efi. When the main hammer is released bythe trigger, this lug moves forwardly over the beveled surface until thehammer reaches the position shown in Fig. l, in which the lug 6'! liesforwardly of the head 63 and the latter snaps inwardly under tension ofthe spring (it, so that it lies behind the lug 5'! in position to bemoved by this lug when the hammer is cocked.

It will be appreciated that, as the ejecting mechanism is duplicated atboth sides of the gun, as are also the lugs 5l upon the main hammers,the cartridges Will be ejected only after they have been iired. Forexample, if the lower barrel has been iired but not the upper one, onlythe lower hammer will be in position to cock and reease the ejectorhammer associated therewith, while the ejector hammer on the other sidewill remain stationary and merely move the shell in the upper barreloutwardly to a position where it can be withdrawn, and the converse willbe true if the upper barrel only has been fired. Moreover, if bothbarrels have been fired, both shells will be ejected.

It will be apparent that I have provided a simple and efiicient ejectingmechanism which avoids the employment of sears for holding the ejectorhammers in cocked position, and that the ejector hammers are both cockedand released, or drawn back and released, by continued movement of thehammers in the same direction to cocked position, which occurs each timethe gun is fully opened, provided, of course, the hammers are notalready cocked. By simplifying the ejecting mechanism it may beconveniently mounted within the action frame of the gun closely adjacentthe main hammers, so that the ejector hammers may be directly actuatedthereby. The ejectors themselves are the only part of the mechanismmounted upon the barrel section, as the kicker levers 53 are, as stated,pivoted in the side walls of the forearm, While the driver rods 55 areslidably mounted in the walls of the fore part of the action frame.

While I have shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention,it will be understood that it is not to be limited to all of the detailsshown, but is capable of modification and variation within the spirit ofthe invention and within the scope of the claims,

What I claim is:

l. A firearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivotedthereto, an ejector on the barrel section, a spring-actuated ejectorhammer movably mounted on the action frame, means actuated by movementof the barrel section to open position about its pivot for cooking andreleasing the ejector hammer, and operative connections from said hammerto said ejector.

2. A firearm comprising an action frame, a

In the latter barrel section pivoted theretdan ejector on the barrelsection, a spring-actuated ejector hammer movably mounted on the actionframe, means actuated by movement of the barrel section to open positionabout its pivot for cooking and releasing the ejector hammer, andoperative connections from said hammer to said ejector, said connectionsincluding a rod slidably mounted in a forward portion of the actionframe and actuated by said hammer.

3. A rearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivoted thereto,an ejector on the barrel section, a spring-actuated ejector hammermovably mounted on the action frame, means actuated by movement of thebarrel section to open position about its pivot for cooking andreleasing the ejector hammer, operative connections from said hammer tosaid ejector, said connections including a rod slidably mounted in aforward portion of the action frame and actuated by said hammer, and alever transmitting motion from said rod to said ejector.

4. A rearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivoted thereto,an ejector on the barrel section, a spring-actuated ejector hammermovably mounted on the action frame, means actuated by movement of thebarrel section to open position about its pivot for cocking andreleasing the ejector hammer, operative connections irom said hammer tosaid ejector, a forearm on the barrel section, said connectionsincluding a rod slidably mounted in a forward portion of the actionframe and actuated by said hammer, and a lever pivoted on the forearmand transmitting movement from said rod to the ejector.

5. A iirearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, and means operatively connecting said hammer to theejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls.

6. A firearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to theejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, and a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rodto said ejector.

7. A firearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is piv- 0 oted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to theejector, said means comprising a ro-d movably mounted in one of saidside walls, and means actuated by the movement of the barrel sectionabout its pivot to both retract and release said ejector hammer.

3. A rearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to theejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector, and a forearm connected to the barrel section, and saidmember comprising a lever pivoted to said forearm, the ends of saidlever engaging said rod and ejector respectively.

9. A firearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mount-ned on the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to theejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, and a cooking lever actuated by the swinging of the barrelsection about its pivot to effect both cocking and release of saidejector hammer.

10. A firearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivotedthereto to per-mit breaking of the gun, an ejector on the barrelsection, a spring-actuated ejector hammer movably mounted on the actionframe, operative connections from said hammer to said ejector, a mainhammer movably mounted in the action frame, means to cock said mainhammer, and means to effect cocking and release of said ejector hammerwhen said main hammer is cocked.

11. A rearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivoted theretoto permit breaking of the gun, an ejector on the barrel section, aspring-actuated ejector hammer movably mounted on the action frame,operative connections from said hammer to said ejector, a main hammermovably mounted in the action frame, means to effect cooking and releaseof said ejector hammer when said main hammer is cocked, and means tocock said main hammer by a pivotal movement of the barrel sectionrelatively to the action frame.

12. A firearm comprising an action frame, a barrel section pivotedthereto to permit breaking of the gun, an ejector on the barrel section,a spring-actuated ejector hammer movably mount* ed on the action frame,operative connections from said hammer to said ejector, a main hammermovably mounted in the action frame, means for cooking said main hammer,and means to effect operative movement of said ejector hammer when saidmain hammer is cocked, said means permitting said main hammer, whenreleased, to move forwardly without operative eiTect upon said ejectorhammer.

13. A rearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to saidejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector, a main hammer movably mounted in the action frame, meansfor cooking said main hammer, and means to effect both cooking andrelease of 8 said ejector hammer when said main hammer is cocked.

14. A rearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to saidejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector, a main hammer movably mounted in the action frame, meansto effect both cocking and release of said ejector hammer when said mainhammer is cocked, and means to cock said main hammer by pivotal movementof the barrel section.

15. A firearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to saidejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector, a main hammer on said action frame, means for cooking saidmain hammer, and a member on said main hammer to engage and cock, andthen release, said ejector hammer when the main hammer is moved tococked position.

16. A firearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pivoted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to saidejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector,

a main hammer on said action frame, means for cooking said main hammer,and a member on said main hammer to engage and cock, and then release,said ejector hammer when the main hammer is moved to cocked position,said main hammer when released passing by said ejector hammer withouteffecting operative movement thereof.

17. A rearm comprising a barrel section, an action frame to which thebarrel section is pi oted having forwardly spaced side wall portionsembracing the rear end of the barrel section, an ejector movably mountedon the barrel section, a spring-pressed ejector hammer movably mountedon the action frame, means operatively connecting said hammer to saidejector, said means comprising a rod movably mounted in one of said sidewalls, a member transmitting motion from the forward end of the rod tosaid ejector, and a main hammer on said action frame, means for cookingsaid main hammer, said main hammer having a laterally extending partengaging said ejector hammer to cock the latter when the main hammer iscocked, but passing by said ejector hammer when the main hammer isreleased.

JOHN CROWE.

